Video, Performance, Salt, Natural materials, wire

The environmental impacts of gravel and sand mining  range from collapsing river banks, habitat destruction, flood plain ponding, landscape destruction, dust, noise, to sedimentation. This type of work has shown that there is significant environmental degradation  as a result of unregulated sand and gravel mining. These negative effects disturb the balance in nature and this has multilayer effects on the ecosystem. The reason for these mining locations ranges from the over development of cities, to the overconsumption of our societies. As humans we have become entitled to the earth that holds us. People see the earth as a way to make money, expand upon industrial projects, and take when we do not need. Van Duijn chose to implant herself within this gravel pit for these reasons. As a commentary on the way we treat nature and the world around us. The headpiece is meant to represent nature itself coming back into a space it’s not allowed to be anymore. The red sand is the blood of the earth. Van Duijn aims to show the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. As she was doing the performance within this space, she was giving thanks to our planet, recognizing how much it matters and how much it’s given.